Kinds of Wagashi
落雁・らくがん
Rakugan
The classic higashi (dry sweet): grain flour and sugar pressed firm in a wooden mold.
Rakugan is made by combining flour from rice or other grains with sugar and a small amount of moisture, packing it into a wooden mold, tapping it out, and drying it. Sweets made this way are called uchimono or oshimono.
It crumbles softly in the mouth and a gentle sweetness spreads. Because it contains little moisture it keeps well, and it has long been enjoyed as a dry sweet served with thin tea (usucha) at tea gatherings, and also as an offering.
Some are made by pressing wasanbon sugar alone; these melt away smoothly, with a rich yet refined sweetness.
